Cover structure for valve service boxes



March 12, 1929. w. E. BURGESS COVER STRUCTURE FOR VALVE SERVICE BOXES Filed Jan. 1927 Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

STATS PATENT orrics.

WALTER E. BURGESS, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CENTRAL FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

COVER STRUCTURE FOR VALVE SERVICE BOXES.

Application filed January 6, 1927.

the line 2-2of Fig. -1. 1

My invention relates to cover or closure means for service boxes such as are usedto provide access to gas or Water service mains or valves. In connection with the installation of service pi es leading from street mains for the supp y ofwater or gas to individual premises, it is the practice to provide a box or housing through which access may be had to a valve in the service pipe Without entering the premises of the user. The box or housing structure includes a vertical hollow shaft or casing which terminates at its upper end in a position flush withthe pavement or ground level. A closure or cover member, for the upper end of the casing has been adapted, in the prior and existing practice; to be placed either in an expanded terminal portion of the casing or to occupy an enclosing relation to a vertical rim on therend of the casing. Ineithercase the cover structure was held in position by be ing attached to a radial inwardly extending lug formed on the body of thecasmgand provided with a screw threaded opening through which a, screw, passing through the covermember, could be driven to fasten the cover member in place. Although this structure has gone into wide spread use, it is open to the ob ection that the inwardly extending lug member formed on. the inner wall of-the body portion of the casing tended to restrict the use of a tool inserted throughxthe casing to manipulate the valve in the housing below. In addition, the lug was easily broken from its place, thereby renderinggthe entire casing member to which it was attached useless and necessitating its removal and replacement. Also the providing of a threaded opening in the lug necessitated the handling of the easing structure in order to form the opening and cut the thread.

An object of the present invention is to moi/idea closureistructu're for service bofx casings whichis characterized by the ab.- senceof; the inwardly extending lug on the body; port-ion of the casing and which will provide a strongfand rigidclosure structure .a thatuis easily inserted in place and forms Serial No. 159,471.

a smooth upper surface flush with the pavmg material of the street or roadway. In carrying out the invention, the upper terminal service :box casing is'provided with an expanded formation which afi'ords an inner shoulder and an axially extending annular flange. The flange is provided at its outer edge with a pair of diametrically disposed radial inward extending lugs. A cover plate is provided which is adapted to seaton the shoulder of the casing terminal beneath the lugs and to be locked into position. In order to enable the cover plate to be passed into position beneath the-lugs, a recess is formed in one edge of the plate through which one of the lug. members may pass as the plate is moved into position beneath the opposite lug. In order to lock the plate in position on the shoulder, a perforated lockmg member isplaced in position between a depressed upper surface of the cover-plate and the locking lug adjacent the position of the recess. A screw is then passed through the perforation in the locking member and into a threaded opening providedfor the purpose in the cover plate, thereby locking the plate in a securely held position. Other features of the invention'will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, the upper end portion of a service box casin 10 is expanded to form an endwise extending annular flange member 11 and also to provide a shoulder or seat 12 on which a cover plate 13 may rest in closing relation to the casing.

The annular flange member 11 is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed lug members 14 and 15 which occupy inwardly extending positions at the outer edge of the flange member. The lug members 14 and 15 are spaced from the seat or shoulder 12, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

A cover member 18 is adapted to be placed in position on the shoulder 12 to present its upper face in the same level with the end face of theflange member 11. The-cover member is providedIwith a. depressed area'ff 16 inwhich the lug member 14 of the flange 11, is adaptedjto be received as isfindicated in Fig. 2.- At a point. diametrically opposite the depressed area lfi is another de pressed area 17. The depressed portion 18 of the plate is provided with a threaded opening 19. in which a screw 20 is adapted to be received.

The depressed portion 18 is provided with a recess 21 which provides for the passing of the plate into position on the shoulder without obstruction by the lug 15. In order to lock the plate in position on the shoulder 12, a locking member 22 is provided which is adapted to be placed on the seat formed by the depressed area 17 of the cover plate. The lockingmember 22 is adapted when in looking position to project beneath the lower surface of the lug. 15, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The locking member 22 is provided with a perforation 23 through which the screw member 20 can be passed so that the head of the screw clamps the locking member against the seat 17 to thereby hold the locking member in immovable position.

It will be seen that the cover member can be readily removed from its closing position with relation to the casing 10 by the removal of the screw 20 which provides for the ready removal of the locking member 22.

It will be seen that a closure device has been provided which is characterized by the provision of a casing: member having no in wardly projecting lugs on its body wall so that the free use of a tool for manipulating the valvev in the box below is permitted. In addition, the omission of alug on the casing with its threaded opening does away with the necessity for performing a machining operation-on the casing member and thereby reduces the cost of construction.

It will also be seen that the relatively heavy construction that is provided by the massive flange member 11 affords a strong and secure structure that will not be subject to damage by vehicular traffic.

.The terms and expressions which I have employedare used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding'any mechanical equivaqlents of the features shown and described,

or portions thereof, but recognize that various. structural modifications are possible within the. scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1; In a valve service box structure, a hol .7 low shaft having an expanded terminal portion providing an inner shoulder and an axially extending annular flange, said flange being provided with a pair of in- -wardly extending diametrically spaced lugs adjacent the outer end thereof, a cover plate adapted to rest on said shoulder with its outer surface .flush with the end of the flange, said coverplate being provided with a depressed portion adapted to extend beneath one of said lug members, said cover plate being provided with another depressed portion having a recess in its edge whereby to permit the plate to be passed into position past the other lug member, said second named depressed portion being adapted to provide a seat for a locking lug adapted to extend beneath the adjacent lug member when in looking position, and means for attaching the locking member to its seat when in looking position.

2. In a valve service box structure, a tubular shaft having an expanded terminal portion providing an inner shoulder and an axially extending flange, said flange being provided witha pair of inwardly extending diametrically disposed lugs, a cover plate adapted to rest on the shoulder, said cover plate being provided with a depressed portion adapted to extend beneath one of said lugs, said cover plate being provided with another depressed portion having a recess formed in its edge through which the other lug may pass in moving the cover plate to and from engagement with its seat, said second named depressed portion being provided with a screw threaded opening, the upper surface of said second named depressed portion providing a seat for a. looking member having a perforation therethrough, said locking member when in position on said seat being adapted to extend beneath the-adjacent lug to thereby lock the cover plate on its seat, and a screw member adapted to pass through the perforation in said locking member and into the threaded opening formed in theseat portion of the cover plate.

3. In a valve service-boxstructure, 3. cas ing member having its-terminal portion expanded to' provide a shoulder and an annular flange, apair of diametrically disposed inwardly extending lugs formed on the flange in a spaced apart relation withresp'ect to the shoulder, a cover-plate adapted to rest on said shoulder beneath one of said flanges, said cover plate being provided with a re cess in its edge to receive the other lug when the cover is being placed in or removed'fromclosing position, said cover plate being provided with a threaded opening adjacent said recess, a locking member adapted to rest on said'cover member and to extend beneath the lug adjacent said recess, said locking member being-provided with a perforation, and a screw adapted to pass through the perforation in said locking member and to engage said threaded openingwhereby to lock the cover member in closing relation to the casing; j

4. In a closure structure for a tubular member, the tubular member having aterminal portion prov ided'with an inner shoulder and an axially extending flange, inwardly extending lugs formed on the flange, a cover plate having a recessed edge portion to permit the cover plate to pass the lugs and rest on the" shoulder with its top surface flushwith the edge of the flange on the tubular portion, and a locking device comprising a bolt threaded into the cover near its recessed edge and a washer under the head of the bolt extending under one of the lugs adjacent its recessed edge portion.

5. In a closure structure for a tubular member, the tubular member having a terminal portion of greater diameter than the body of the member provided with an inner shoulder and an axially extending annular flange, inwardly extending lugs formed on the flange, a cover plate having a recessed edge portion to permit the cover plate to pass the lugs and rest on the shoulder, said cover plate being protected by the said flange and having its top surface substantially flush therewith, and locking means adapted to be attached to the cover plate and to extend in locking relation beneath that one of the lugs which is adjacent the recessed edge portion of the plate.

6. In a closure structure for a tubular member, the tubular member having an expanded terminal portion providing an inner shoulder and an axially extending annular flange, said flange being provided With a pair of inwardly extending diametrically disposed lugs, a cover plate adapted to rest on the shoulder beneath the lugs, the cover plate being of circular shape the normal diameter of which is substantially greater than the distance between said lugs, the cover plate having a recess in its edge to provide for passing the plate into position beneath the lugs and in engagement with the shoulder, a locking member adapted to be placed in bridging engagement across the space between the recessed edge of the cover and the adjacent lug and to occupy a position beneath the adjacent lug to lock the cover plate in closed position, and means for removably attaching the locking member to the cover plate in said locking position.

WALTER E. BURGESS. 

